Muslim Women Of Pakistan, By Tehmina Durrani s My Feudal...

A society that operates with male-dominated ideologies and mechanisms contributes to the disempowerment and subjugation of woman. This paper studies predicament of Muslim wives in society of Pakistan through institution of marriage as depicted in Tehmina Durrani’s My Feudal Lord, an autobiographical narrative. The publication of My Feudal Lord received many awards and made it exceptional and extraordinary literary work, which surfaces the issues of Muslim women of Pakistan, and is still relevant as it contributes to the feminist cause. The book is a painful account of a woman’s traumatic marriage in Pakistan, who suffers in silence for thirteen years and then decides to come out of the life of abuse and humiliation. It also highlights the hidden agency of a woman that has the potential to expose and challenge a male dominated society. Durrani’s courage, resistance and mighty pen become agents for change. These agents, along with exposition of assumed authority of debauchery and superiority of male culture assist her in dismantling established societal pattern of marriage. The process of evolution encourages her to reflect on the woes of other women in Pakistani society and the ways to counter violence, inequality and isolation in feudal trap. The paper demonstrates concerns like inequality, violence and male dominance and argues that despite caught in a patriarchal trap woman with her conviction and female agency finds a way to be heard and asserts herself in a conservative

Individual Privacy vs National Security - 5833 Words

Individual Privacy VS National Security John Williams ENG 122: GSE 1244A Instructor: Ebony Gibson November 1, 2012 Individual Privacy VS National Security Introduction Since the terrorist attack of 9/11, America has been in a high level conflict with terrorist around the world, particularly the group known as Al Qaeda. There has been many discussions within the U.S. Congress about the measures of how to effectively combat this organization and their members, here and abroad. Consequently, the issue of individual privacy vs. national security has generated discussions within the civilian and government sectors. To date, the discussions continues with many private citizens who feels they are constantly losing their privacy , when†¦show more content†¦The residing administration presented stacks of follow-up attacks to Congress from experts and officials on a daily basis with grim pictures or scenarios of possible attacks on nuclear facilities, schools, shopping centers, and others alike, that the public saw measures in place as acceptable and adequate, (Downing 2008a). Downing further states; Americans have seen their privacy and other rig hts curtailed in previous wars but the present-day privations are unfounded only in the duration of these rights. Just how long will the duration of war on terrorism and rights last, it has already lasted longer than any other US wars. Further sources of concern to the public, are the rich array of devices and techniques of the government, such as improved computer programs, databases, and surveillance gear, never before used in previous wars and never devoted as resources to any state or its partners. What if any remedies are there in the political system in the privacy of individuals versus national security protections and concerns? The courts have narrowed away some of the concerns, but the bulk of these powers, many of them are still persisting. Congress has been hesitant to amend passing the Patriot Act and its follow-ups, due to fear of being labeled unpatriotic, but also for fear ofShow MoreRelatedIndividual Privacy vs. National Security1770 Words   |  8 PagesIndividual Privacy vs. National Security Individual Privacy vs. National Security is something that many people have argued for years. Many people have forgotten what a disturbance September 11, 2001 was to everyone in America. This was the day that 2,992 lives were stolen in the attacks by the Taliban on U.S. soil. Due to this attack the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) along with the Federal Government has put in place many new security regulations. Many people have lostRead MoreIndividual Privacy vs. National Security: A Report628 Words   |  3 PagesIndividual Privacy vs National Security In liberal-democratic societies, the right to individual privacy is among the core components of the democratic system. The right to privacy is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States and is a part of value systems Americans are proud of and cherish. Concepts related to privacy touch on freedom, trust, the right to be left alone, obedience, and free will (Michael Michael, 2006, p. 360). The privacy needs of citizens, however, can be fully metRead MoreEssay on Individual Privacy vs National Security2509 Words   |  11 PagesIndividual Privacy vs. National Security Anthony Sifuentes ENG 122 English Composition II Instructor vonFrohling February 13, 2012 Individual Privacy vs. National Security The need to protect National Security is far more important than individual privacy. The greatest part of living in the United States of America is the freedom that we have. That freedom and the right to live freely is protected by various government agencies. From time to time, the privacy a person has may have toRead MoreEssay about Individual Privacy vs. National Security1039 Words   |  5 PagesIndividual Privacy vs. National Security Antonio Ewings ENG 122 English Compositions 2 Instructor: Sarah McDonald January 16, 2012 Individual Privacy vs. National Security Individual privacy is basically the exposure of a person’s limitations to the open public. There are different perspectives in different scenarios on a person’s individual privacy. Every human has a right to their own privacy. Some people scream more than others on how much privacy they actually have. In a perfect worldRead MoreThe Security Of Our Nation1359 Words   |  6 Pagesour nation was established, security was not an issue. The towns then were little and almost everyone knew their fellow neighbors and what was going on. The security of the individual is an essential right. Without protection, the vote based framework that we know would not exist. Protection is one of the central qualities on which our nation was established. There are special cases to the protection of our rights that are made by the requirement for resistance and security. In every country, the needRead MoreThe Security Vs. Privacy1537 Words   |  7 Pages1. At stake are two forces representing a critical dilemma of the post-2001 world: security vs. privacy. Fighting for security, the FBI is seeking â€Å"backdoor† access to the iPhone in question that was used by one of the two suspects in the San Bernardino shooting in December 2015. Defending privacy is Apple, Inc., designer and marketer of the Apple iPhone. The two suspects under investigation are linked with known terrorist groups, possibly ISIS, with definitive proof of these links locked away inRead MoreThe Importance Of Personal Information And How People Feel About It1613 Words   |  7 Pagesinformations can lead to serious consequences. Individuals and organizations can use other people’s personal informations without their allowances, which can be harmful to the livelihoods of these people. For example, identity thefts use others’ credit cards to cause personal finan cial loss. It is important to have control and protect personal informations Consumer Privacy Protection Act of 2015 was to protect privacy and sensitive personal information against security breaches, frauds, and misuse of personalRead MoreApple s : A Fool s Mission1269 Words   |  6 PagesiPhones before refusing to hack into terrorist’s device. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/apple-unlocked-70-iphones-refusal-article-1.2536178 2. San Bernardino shooting http://www.cnn.com/specials/san-bernardino-shooting 3. Government Calls Apple’s iPhone Arguments in San Bernardino Case a ‘Diversion’ http://www.wired.com/2016/03/government-calls-apples-iphone-arguments-san-bernardino-case-diversion/ 4. FBI vs. Apple: A fool’s mission http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_news/article_e78f27a8-0dc2-529c-843e-8e8c42104a5eRead MoreCyber Security And Security Of The Users1520 Words   |  7 Pagesinfotainment [1]. When these kinds of services are introduced, they also bring in the vulnerabilities associated with them, resulting in increased number of security threats and attacks. Hence, it is very important to ensure that these services do not compromise the safety and security of the users [2]. This paper aims to provide a brief overview of cyber security in vehicular networks by analyzing its vulnerabilities, challenges and solutions. I. Introduction Vehicular networks consist of in-vehicle networksRead MoreSecurity Vs. Privacy : Should Edward Snowden Be Pardoned For Leaking1277 Words   |  6 PagesSecurity vs. Privacy Should Edward Snowden be pardoned for leaking thousands of classified NSA documents? An analysis of the merits of the Snowden leaks and the broader issue of security vs. privacy and mass surveillance from the perspective of at least two ethical theories. Following the terrorist attacks on 911, President George W. Bush signed into law The USA PATRIOT Act. Intended to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, The Patriot Act the made changes to surveillance laws that

Prelude to Foundation Chapter 9 Microfarm Free Essays

string(73) " religion was more prominent than it is today\?† â€Å"Certainly\." MYCOGEN-†¦ The microfarms of Mycogen are legendary, though they survive today only in such oft-used similes as â€Å"rich as the microfarms of Mycogen† or â€Å"tasty as Mycogenian yeast.† Such encomiums tend to intensify with time, to be sure, but Hari Seldon visited those microfarms in the course of The Flight and there are references in his memoirs that would tend to support the popular opinion†¦ Encyclopedia Galactica 41. â€Å"That was good. We will write a custom essay sample on Prelude to Foundation Chapter 9 Microfarm or any similar topic only for you Order Now † said Seldon explosively. â€Å"It was considerably better than the food Graycloud brought-â€Å" Dors said reasonably, â€Å"You have to remember that Graycloud’s woman had to prepare it on short notice in the middle of the night.† She paused and said, â€Å"I wish they would say ‘wife.’ They make ‘woman’ sound like such an appanage, like ‘my house’ or my robe.’ It is absolutely demeaning.† â€Å"I know. It’s infuriating. But they might well make ‘wife’ sound like an appanage as well. It’s the way they live and the Sisters don’t seem to mind. You and I aren’t going to change it by lecturing. Anyway, did you see how the Sisters did it?† â€Å"Yes, I did and they made everything seem very simple. I doubted I could remember everything they did, but they insisted I wouldn’t have to. I could get away with mere heating. I gathered the bread had some sort of microderivative added to it in the baking that both raised the dough and lent it that crunchy consistency and warm flavor. Just a hint of pepper, didn’t you think?† â€Å"I couldn’t tell, but whatever it was, I didn’t get enough. And the soup. Did you recognize any of the vegetables?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"And what was the sliced meat? Could you tell?† â€Å"I don’t think it was sliced meat, actually. We did have a lamb dish back on Cinna that it reminded me of.† â€Å"It was certainly not lamb.† â€Å"I said that I doubted it was meat at all.-I don’t think anyone outside Mycogen eats like this either. Not even the Emperor, I’m sure. Whatever the Mycogenians sell is, I’m willing to bet, near the bottom of the line. They save the best for themselves. We had better not stay here too long, Hari. If we get used to eating like this, we’ll never be able to acclimatize ourselves to the miserable stuff they have outside.† She laughed. Seldon laughed too. He took another sip at the fruit juice, which tasted far more tantalizing than any fruit juice he had ever sipped before, and said, â€Å"listen, when Hummin took me to the University, we stopped at a roadside diner and had some food that was heavily yeasted. It tasted like- No, never mind what it tasted like, but I wouldn’t have thought it conceivable, then, that microfood could taste like this. I wish the Sisters were still here. It would have been polite to thank them.† â€Å"I think they were quite aware of how we would feel. I remarked on the wonderful smell while everything was warming and they said, quite complacently, that it would taste even better.† â€Å"The older one said that, I imagine.† â€Å"Yes. The younger one giggled.-And they’ll be back. They’re going to bring me a kirtle, so that I can go out to see the shops with them. And they made it clear I would have to wash my face if I was to be seen in public. They will show me where to buy some good-quality kirtles of my own and where I can buy ready-made meals of all kinds. All I’ll have to do is heat them up. They explained that decent Sisters wouldn’t do that, but would start from scratch. In fact, some of the meal they prepared for us was simply heated and they apologized for that. They managed to imply, though, that tribespeople couldn’t be expected to appreciate true artistry in cooking, so that simply heating prepared food would do for us.-They seem to take it for granted, by the way, that I will be doing all the shopping and cooking.† â€Å"As we say at home, ‘When in Trantor, do as the Trantorians do.’ â€Å" â€Å"Yes, I was sure that would be your attitude in this case.† â€Å"I’m only human,† said Seldon. â€Å"The usual excuse,† said Dors with a small smile. Seldon leaned back with a satisfactory well-filled feeling and said, â€Å"You’ve been on Trantor for two years, Dors, so you might understand a few things that I don’t. Is it your opinion that this odd social system the Mycogenians have is part of a supernaturalistic view they have?† â€Å"Supernaturalistic?† â€Å"Yes. Would you have heard that this was so?† â€Å"What do you mean by ‘supernaturalistic’?† â€Å"The obvious. A belief in entities that are independent of natural law, that are not bound by the conservation of energy, for instance, or by the existence of a constant of action.† â€Å"I see. You’re asking if Mycogen is a religious community.† It was Seldon’s turn. â€Å"Religious?† â€Å"Yes. It’s an archaic term, but we historians use it-our study is riddled with archaic terms. ‘Religious’ is not precisely equivalent to ‘supernaturalistic,’ though it contains richly supernaturalistic elements. I can’t answer your specific question, however, because I’ve never made any special investigation of Mycogen. Still, from what little I’ve seen of the place and from my knowledge of religions in history, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mycogenian society was religious in character.† â€Å"In that case, would it surprise you if Mycogenian legends were also religious in character?† â€Å"No, it wouldn’t.† â€Å"And therefore not based on historical matter?† â€Å"That wouldn’t necessarily follow. The core of the legends might still be authentically historic, allowing for distortion and supernaturalistic intermixture.† â€Å"Ah,† said Seldon and seemed to retire into his thoughts. Finally Dors broke the silence that followed and said, â€Å"It’s not so uncommon, you know. There is a considerable religious element on many worlds. It’s grown stronger in the last few centuries as the Empire has grown more turbulent. On my world of Cinna, at least a quarter of the population is tritheistic.† Seldon was again painfully and regretfully conscious of his ignorance of history. He said, â€Å"Were there times in past history when religion was more prominent than it is today?† â€Å"Certainly. In addition, there are new varieties springing up constantly. The Mycogenian religion, whatever it might be, could be relatively new and may be restricted to Mycogen itself. I couldn’t really tell without considerable study.† â€Å"But now we get to the point of it, Dors. Is it your opinion that women are more apt to be religious than men are?† Dors Venabili raised her eyebrows. â€Å"I’m not sure if we can assume anything as simple as that.† She thought a bit. â€Å"I suspect that those elements of a population that have a smaller stake in the material natural world are more apt to find solace in what you call supernaturalism-the poor, the disinherited, the downtrodden. Insofar as supernaturalism overlaps religion, they may also be more religious. There are obviously many exceptions in both directions. Many of the downtrodden may lack religion; many of the rich, powerful, and satisfied may possess it.† â€Å"But in Mycogen,† said Seldon, â€Å"where the women seem to be treated as subhuman-would I be right in assuming they would be more religious than the men, more involved in the legends that the society has been preserving?† â€Å"I wouldn’t risk my life on it, Hari, but I’d be willing to risk a week’s income on it.† â€Å"Good,† said Seldon thoughtfully. Dors smiled at him. â€Å"There’s a bit of your psychohistory, Hari. Rule number 47,854: The downtrodden are more religious than the satisfied.† Seldon shook his head. â€Å"Don’t joke about psychohistory, Dors. You know I’m not looking for tiny rules but for vast generalizations and for means of manipulation. I don’t want comparative religiosity as the result of a hundred specific rules. I want something from which I can, after manipulation through some system of mathematicized logic, say, ‘Aha, this group of people will tend to be more religious than that group, provided that the following criteria are met, and that, therefore, when humanity meets with these stimuli, it will react with these responses.’ â€Å" â€Å"How horrible,† said Dors. â€Å"You are picturing human beings as simple mechanical devices. Press this button and you will get that twitch.† â€Å"No, because there will be many buttons pushing simultaneously to varying degrees and eliciting so many responses of different sorts that overall the predictions of the future will be statistical in nature, so that the individual human being will remain a free agent.† â€Å"How can you know this?† â€Å"I can’t,† said Seldon. â€Å"At least, I don’t know it. I feel it to be so. It is what I consider to be the way things ought to be. If I can find the axioms, the fundamental Laws of Humanics, so to speak, and the necessary mathematical treatment, then I will have my psychohistory. I have proved that, in theory, this is possible-â€Å" â€Å"But impractical, right?† â€Å"I keep saying so.† A small smile curved Dors’s lips, â€Å"Is that what you are doing, Hari, looking for some sort of solution to this problem?† â€Å"I don’t know. I swear to you I don’t know. But Chetter Hummin is so anxious to find a solution and, for some reason, I am anxious to please him. He is so persuasive a man.† â€Å"Yes, I know.† Seldon let that comment pass, although a small frown flitted across his face. Seldon continued. â€Å"Hummin insists the Empire is decaying, that it will collapse, that psychohistory is the only hope for saving it-or cushioning it or ameliorating it-and that without it humanity will be destroyed or, at the very least, go through prolonged misery. He seems to place the responsibility for preventing that on me. Now, the Empire will certainly last my time, but if I’m to live at ease, I must lift that responsibility from my shoulders. I must convince myself-and even convince Hummin-that psychohistory is not a practical way out that, despite theory, it cannot be developed. So I must follow up as many leads as I can and show that each one must fail.† â€Å"Leads? Like going back in history to a time when human society was smaller than it is now?† â€Å"Much smaller. And far less complex.† â€Å"And showing that a solution is still impractical?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But who is going to describe the early world for you? If the Mycogenians have some coherent picture of the primordial Galaxy, Sunmaster certainly won’t reveal it to a tribesman. No Mycogenian will. This is an ingrown society-how many times have we already said it?-and its members are suspicious of tribesmen to the point of paranoia. They’ll tell us nothing.† â€Å"I will have to think of a way to persuade some Mycogenians to talk. Those Sisters, for instance.† â€Å"They won’t even hear you, male that you are, any more than Sunmaster hears me. And even if they do talk to you, what would they know but a few catch phrases?† â€Å"I must start somewhere.† Dors said, â€Å"Well, let me think. Hummin says I must protect you and I interpret that as meaning I must help you when I can. What do I know about religion? That’s nowhere near my specialty, you know. I have always dealt with economic forces, rather than philosophic forces, but you can’t split history into neat little nonoverlapping divisions. For instance, religions tend to accumulate wealth when successful and that eventually tends to distort the economic development of a society. There, incidentally, is one of the numerous rules of human history that you’ll have to derive from your basic Laws of Humanics or whatever you called them. But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  And here, Dors’s voice faded away as she lapsed into thought. Seldon watched her cautiously and Dors’s eyes glazed as though she was looking deep within herself. Finally she said, â€Å"This is not an invariable rule, but it seems to me that on many occasions, a religion has a book-or books-of significance; books that give their ritual, their view of history, their sacred poetry, and who knows what else. Usually, those books are open to all and are a means of proselytization. Sometimes they are secret.† â€Å"Do you think Mycogen has books of that sort?† â€Å"To be truthful,† said Dors thoughtfully, â€Å"I have never heard of any. I might have if they existed openly-which means they either don’t exist or are kept secret. In either case, it seems to me you are not going to see them.† â€Å"At least it’s a starting point,† said Seldon grimly. 42. The Sisters returned about two hours after Hari and Dors had finished lunch. They were smiling, both of them, and Raindrop Forty-Three, the graver one, held up a gray kirtle for Dors’s inspection. â€Å"It is very attractive,† said Dors, smiling widely and nodding her head with a certain sincerity. â€Å"I like the clever embroidery here.† â€Å"It is nothing,† twittered Raindrop Forty-Five. â€Å"It is one of my old things and it won’t fit very well, for you are taller than I am. But it will do for a while and we will take you out to the very best kirtlery to get a few that will fit you and your tastes perfectly. You will see.† Raindrop Forty-Three, smiling a little nervously but saying nothing and keeping her eyes fixed on the ground, handed a white kirtle to Dors. It was folded neatly. Dors did not attempt to unfold it, but passed it on to Seldon. â€Å"From the color I should say it’s yours, Hari.† â€Å"Presumably,† said Seldon, â€Å"but give it back. She did not give it to me.† â€Å"Oh, Hari,† mouthed Dors, shaking her head slightly. â€Å"No,† said Seldon firmly. â€Å"She did not give it to me. Give it back to her and I’ll wait for her to give it to me.† Dors hesitated, then made a half-hearted attempt to pass the kirtle back to Raindrop Forty-Three. The Sister put her hands behind her back and moved away, all life seeming to drain from her face. Raindrop Forty-Five stole a glance at Seldon, a very quick one, then took a quick step toward Raindrop Forty-Three and put her arms about her. Dors said, â€Å"Come, Hari, I’m sure that Sisters are not permitted to talk to men who are not related to them. What’s the use of making her miserable? She can’t help it.† â€Å"I don’t believe it,† said Seldon harshly. â€Å"If there is such a rule, it applies only to Brothers. I doubt very much that she’s ever met a tribesman before.† Dors said to Raindrop Forty-Three in a soft voice, â€Å"Have you ever met a tribesman before, Sister, or a tribeswoman?† A long hesitation and then a slow negative shake of the head. Seldon threw out his arms. â€Å"Well, there you are. If there is a rule of silence, it applies only to the Brothers. Would they have sent these young women-these Sisters-to deal with us if there was any rule against speaking to tribesmen?† â€Å"It might be, Hari, that they were meant to speak only to me and I to you.† â€Å"Nonsense. I don’t believe it and I won’t believe it. I am not merely a tribesman, I am an honored guest in Mycogen, asked to be treated as such by Chetter Hummin and escorted here by Sunmaster Fourteen himself. I will not be treated as though I do not exist. I will be in communication with Sunmaster Fourteen and I will complain bitterly.† Raindrop Forty-Five began to sob and Raindrop Forty-Three, retaining her comparative impassivity, nevertheless flushed faintly. Dors made as though to appeal to Seldon once again, but he stopped her with a brief and angry outward thrust of his right arm and then stared gloweringly at Raindrop Forty-Three. And finally she spoke and did not twitter. Rather, her voice trembled hoarsely, as though she had to force it to sound in the direction of a male being and was doing so against all her instincts and desires. â€Å"You must not complain of us, tribesman. That would be unjust. You force me to break the custom of our people. What do you want of me?† Seldon smiled disarmingly at once and held out his hand. â€Å"The garment you brought me. The kirtle.† Silently, she stretched out her arm and deposited the kirtle in his hand. He bowed slightly and said in a soft warm voice, â€Å"Thank you, Sister.† He then cast a very brief look in Dors’s direction, as though to say: You see? But Dors looked away angrily. The kirtle was featureless, Seldon saw as he unfolded it (embroidery and decorativeness were for women, apparently), but it came with a tasseled belt that probably had some particular way of being worn. No doubt he could work it out. He said, â€Å"I’ll step into the bathroom and put this thing on. It won’t take but a minute, I suppose.† He stepped into the small chamber and found the door would not close behind him because Dors was forcing her way in as well. Only when the two of them were in the bathroom together did the door close. â€Å"What were you doing?† Dors hissed angrily. â€Å"You were an absolute brute, Hari. Why did you treat the poor woman that way?† Seldon said impatiently, â€Å"I had to make her talk to me. I’m counting on her for information. You know that. I’m sorry I had to be cruel, but how else could I have broken down her inhibitions?† And he motioned her out. When he emerged, he found Dors in her kirtle too. Dors, despite the bald head the skincap gave her and the inherent dowdiness of the kirtle, managed to look quite attractive. The stitching on the robe somehow suggested a figure without revealing it in the least. Her belt was wider than his own and was a slightly different shade of gray from her kirtle. What’s more, it was held in front by two glittering blue stone snaps. (Women did manage to beautify themselves even under the greatest difficulty, Seldon thought.) Looking over at Hari, Dors said, â€Å"You look quite the Mycogenian now. The two of us are fit to be taken to the stores by the Sisters.† â€Å"Yes,† said Seldon, â€Å"but afterward I want Raindrop Forty-Three to take me on a tour of the microfarms.† Raindrop Forty-Three’s eyes widened and she took a rapid step backward. â€Å"I’d like to see them,† said Seldon calmly. Raindrop Forty-Three looked quickly at Dors. â€Å"Tribeswoman-â€Å" Seldon said, â€Å"Perhaps you know nothing of the farms, Sister.† That seemed to touch a nerve. She lifted her chin haughtily as she still carefully addressed Dors. â€Å"I have worked on the microfarms. All Brothers and Sisters do at some point in their lives.† â€Å"Well then, take me on the tour,† said Seldon, â€Å"and lets not go through the argument again. I am not a Brother to whom you are forbidden to speak and with whom you may have no dealings. I am a tribesman and an honored guest. I wear this skincap and this kirtle so as not to attract undue attention, but I am a scholar and while I am here I must learn. I cannot sit in this room and stare at the wall. I want to see the one thing you have that the rest of the Galaxy does not have†¦ your microfarms. I should think you’d be proud to show them.† â€Å"We are proud,† said Raindrop Forty-Three, finally facing Seldon as she spoke, â€Å"and I will show you and don’t think you will learn any of our secrets if that is what you are after. I will show you the microfarms tomorrow morning. It will take time to arrange a tour.† Seldon said, â€Å"I will wait till tomorrow morning. But do you promise? Do I have your word of honor?† Raindrop Forty-Three said with clear contempt, â€Å"I am a Sister and I will do as I say. I will keep my word, even to a tribesman.† Her voice grew icy at the last words, while her eyes widened and seemed to glitter. Seldon wondered what was passing through her mind and felt uneasy. 43. Seldon passed a restless night. To begin with, Dors had announced that she must accompany him on the tour of the microfarm and he had objected strenuously. â€Å"The whole purpose,† he said, â€Å"is to make her talk freely, to present her with an unusual environment-alone with a male, even if a tribesman. Having broken custom so far, it will be easier to break it further. If you’re along, she will talk to you and I will only get the leavings.† â€Å"And if something happens to you in my absence, as it did Upperside?† â€Å"Nothing will happen. Please! If you want to help me, stay away. If not, I will have nothing further to do with you. I mean it, Dors. This is important to me. Much as I’ve grown fond of you, you cannot come ahead of this.† She agreed with enormous reluctance and said only, â€Å"Promise me you’ll at least be nice to her, then.† And Seldon said, â€Å"Is it me you must protect or her? I assure you that I didn’t treat her harshly for pleasure and I won’t do so in the future.† The memory of this argument with Dors-their first-helped keep him awake a large part of the night; that, together with the nagging thought that the two Sisters might not arrive in the morning, despite Raindrop Forty-Three’s promise. They did arrive, however, not long after Seldon had completed a spare breakfast (he was determined not to grow fat through overindulgence) and had put on a kirtle that fitted him precisely. He had carefully organized the belt so that it hung perfectly. Raindrop Forty-Three, still with a touch of ice in her eye, said, â€Å"if you are ready, Tribesman Seldon, my sister will remain with Tribeswoman Venabili.† Her voice was neither twittery nor hoarse. It was as though she had steadied herself through the night, practicing, in her mind, how to speak to one who was a male but not a Brother. Seldon wondered if she had lost sleep and said, â€Å"I am quite ready.† Together, half an hour later, Raindrop Forty-Three and Hari Seldon were descending level upon level. Though it was daytime by the clock, the light was dusky and dimmer than it had been elsewhere on Trantor. There was no obvious reason for this. Surely, the artificial daylight that slowly progressed around the Trantorian sphere could include the Mycogen Sector. The Mycogenians must want it that way, Seldon thought, clinging to some primitive habit. Slowly Seldon’s eyes adjusted to the dim surroundings. Seldon tried to meet the eyes of passersby, whether Brothers or Sisters, calmly. He assumed he and Raindrop Forty-Three would be taken as a Brother and his woman and that they would be given no notice as long as he did nothing to attract attention. Unfortunately, it seemed as if Raindrop Forty-Three wanted to be noticed. She talked to him in few words and in low tones out of a clenched mouth. It was clear that the company of an unauthorized male, even though only she knew this fact, raved her self-confidence. Seldon was quite sure that if he asked her to relax, he would merely make her that much more uneasy. (Seldon wondered what she would do if she met someone who knew her. He felt more relaxed once they reached the lower levels, where human beings were fewer.) The descent was not by elevators either, but by moving staired ramps that existed in pairs, one going up and one going down. Raindrop Forty-Three referred to them as â€Å"escalators.† Seldon wasn’t sure he had caught the word correctly, never having heard it before. As they sank to lower and lower levels, Seldon’s apprehension grew. Most worlds possessed microfarms and most worlds produced their own varieties of microproducts. Seldon, back on Helicon, had occasionally shopped for seasonings in the microfarms and was always aware of an unpleasant stomach-turning stench. The people who worked at the microfarms didn’t seem to mind. Even when casual visitors wrinkled their noses, they seemed to acclimate themselves to it. Seldon, however, was always peculiarly susceptible to the smell. He suffered and he expected to suffer now. He tried soothing himself with the thought that he was nobly sacrificing his comfort to his need for information, but that didn’t keep his stomach from turning itself into knots in apprehension. After he had lost track of the number of levels they had descended, with the air still seeming reasonably fresh, he asked, â€Å"When do we get to the microfarm levels?† â€Å"We’re there now.† Seldon breathed deeply. â€Å"It doesn’t smell as though we are.† â€Å"Smell? What do you mean?† Raindrop Forty-Three was offended enough to speak quite loudly. â€Å"There was always a putrid odor associated with microfarms, in my experience. You know, from the fertilizer that bacteria, yeast, fungi, and saprophytes generally need.† â€Å"In your experience?† Her voice lowered again. â€Å"Where was that?† â€Å"On my home world.† The Sister twisted her face into wild repugnance. â€Å"And your people wallow in gabelle?† Seldon had never heard the word before, but from the look and the intonation, he knew what it meant. He said, â€Å"It doesn’t smell like that, you understand, once it is ready for consumption.† â€Å"Ours doesn’t smell like that at any time. Our biotechnicians have worked out perfect strains. The algae grow in the purest light and the most carefully balanced electrolyte solutions. The saprophytes are fed on beautifully combined organics. The formulas and recipes are something no tribespeople will ever know. Come on, here we are. Sniff all you want. You’ll find nothing offensive. That is one reason why our food is in demand throughout the Galaxy and why the Emperor, we are told, eats nothing else, though it is far too good for a tribesman if you ask me, even if he calls himself Emperor.† She said it with an anger that seemed directly aimed at Seldon. Then, as though afraid he might miss that, she added, â€Å"Or even if he calls himself an honored guest.† They stepped out into a narrow corridor, on each side of which were large thick glass tanks in which roiled cloudy green water full of swirling, growing algae, moving about through the force of the gas bubbles that streamed up through it. They would be rich in carbon dioxide, he decided. Rich, rosy light shone down into the tanks, light that was much brighter than that in the corridors. He commented thoughtfully on that. â€Å"Of course,† she said. â€Å"These algae work best at the red end of the spectrum.† â€Å"I presume,† said Seldon, â€Å"that everything is automated.† She shrugged, but did not respond. â€Å"I don’t see quantities of Brothers and Sisters in evidence,† Seldon said, persisting. â€Å"Nevertheless, there is work to be done and they do it, even if you don’t see them at work. The details are not for you. Don’t waste your time by asking about it.† â€Å"Wait. Don’t be angry with me. I don’t expect to be told state secrets. Come on, dear.† (The word slipped out.) He took her arm as she seemed on the point of hurrying away. She remained in place, but he felt her shudder slightly and he released her in embarrassment. He said, â€Å"It’s just that it seems automated.† â€Å"Make what you wish of the seeming. Nevertheless, there is room here for human brains and human judgment. Every Brother and Sister has occasion to work here at some time. Some make a profession of it.† She was speaking more freely now but, to his continuing embarrassment, he noticed her left hand move stealthily toward her right arm and gently rub the spot where he had touched her, as though he had stung her. â€Å"It goes on for kilometers and kilometers,† she said, â€Å"but if we turn here there’ll he a portion of the fungal section you can see.† They moved along. Seldon noted how clean everything was. The glass sparkled. The tiled floor seemed moist, though when he seized a moment to bend and touch it, it wasn’t. Nor was it slippery-unless his sandals (with his big toe protruding in approved Mycogenian fashion) had nonslip soles. Raindrop Forty-Three was right in one respect. Here and there a Brother or a Sister worked silently, studying gauges, adjusting controls, sometimes engaged in something as unskilled as polishing equipment-always absorbed in whatever they were doing. Seldon was careful not to ask what they were doing, since he did not want to cause the Sister humiliation in having to answer that she did not know or anger in her having to remind him there were things he must not know. They passed through a lightly swinging door and Seldon suddenly noticed the faintest touch of the odor he remembered. He looked at Raindrop Forty-Three, but she seemed unconscious of it and soon he too became used to it. The character of the light changed suddenly. The rosiness was gone and the brightness too. All seemed to be in a twilight except where equipment was spotlighted and wherever there was a spotlight there seemed to be a Brother or a Sister. Some wore lighted headbands that gleamed with a pearly glow and, in the middle distance, Seldon could see, here and there, small sparks of light moving erratically. As they walked, he cast a quick eye on her profile. It was all he could really judge by. At all other times, he could not cease being conscious of her bulging bald head, her bare eyes, her colorless face. They drowned her individuality and seemed to make her invisible. Here in profile, however, he could see something. Nose, chin, full lips, regularity, beauty. The dim light somehow smoothed out and softened the great upper desert. He thought with surprise: She could be very beautiful if she grew her hair and arranged it nicely. And then he thought that she couldn’t grow her hair. She would be bald her whole life. Why? Why did they have to do that to her? Sunmaster said it was so that a Mycogenian would know himself (or herself) for a Mycogenian all his (or her) life. Why was that so important that the curse of hairlessness had to be accepted as a badge or mark of identity? And then, because he was used to arguing both sides in his mind, he thought: Custom is second nature. Be accustomed to a bald head, sufficiently accustomed, and hair on it would seem monstrous, would evoke nausea. He himself had shaved his face every morning, removing all the facial hair, uncomfortable at the merest stubble, and yet he did not think of his face as bald or as being in any way unnatural. Of course, he could grow his facial hair at any time he wished-but he didn’t wish to do so. He knew that there were worlds on which the men did not shave; in some, they did not even clip or shape the facial hair but let it grow wild. What would they say if they could see his own bald face, his own hairless chin, cheek, and lips? And meanwhile, he walked with Raindrop Forty-Three-endlessly, it seemed-and every once in a while she guided him by the elbow and it seemed to him that she had grown accustomed to that, for she did not withdraw her hand hastily. Sometimes it remained for nearly a minute. She said, â€Å"Here! Come here!† â€Å"What is that?† asked Seldon. They were standing before a small tray filled with little spheres, each about two centimeters in diameter. A Brother who was tending the area and who had just placed the tray where it was looked up in mild inquiry. Raindrop Forty-Three said to Seldon in a low voice, â€Å"Ask for a few.† Seldon realized she could not speak to a Brother until spoken to and said uncertainly, â€Å"May we have a few, B-brother?† â€Å"Have a handful, Brother,† said the other heartily. Seldon plucked out one of the spheres and was on the point of handing it to Raindrop Forty-Three when he noticed that she had accepted the invitation as applying to herself and reached in for two handfuls. The sphere felt glossy, smooth. Seldon said to Raindrop Forty-Three as they moved away from the vat and from the Brother who was in attendance, â€Å"Are these supposed to be eaten?† He lifted the sphere cautiously to his nose. â€Å"They don’t smell,† she said sharply. â€Å"What are they?† â€Å"Dainties. Raw dainties. For the outside market they’re flavored in different ways, but here in Mycogen we eat them unflavored-the only way.† She put one in her mouth and said, â€Å"I never have enough.† Seldon put his sphere into his mouth and felt it dissolve and disappear rapidly. His mouth, for a moment, ran liquid and then it slid, almost of its own accord, down his throat. He stood for a moment, amazed. It was slightly sweet and, for that matter, had an even fainter bitter aftertaste, but the main sensation eluded him. â€Å"May I have another?† he said. â€Å"Have half a dozen,† said Raindrop Forty-Three, holding out her hand. â€Å"They never have quite the same taste twice and have practically no calories. Just taste.† She was right. He tried to have the dainty linger in his mouth; he tried licking it carefully; tried biting off a piece. However, the most careful lick destroyed it. When a bit was crunched off apiece, the rest of it disappeared at once. And each taste was undefinable and not quite like the one before. â€Å"The only trouble is,† said the Sister happily, â€Å"that every once in a while you have a very unusual one and you never forget it, but you never have it again either. I had one when I was nine-† Her expression suddenly lost its excitement and she said, â€Å"It’s a good thing. It teaches you the evanescence of things of the world.† It was a signal, Seldon thought. They had wandered about aimlessly long enough. She had grown used to him and was talking to him. And now the conversation had to come to its point. Now! 44. Seldon said, â€Å"I come from a world which lies out in the open, Sister, as all worlds do but Trantor. Rain comes or doesn’t come, the rivers trickle or are in flood, temperature is high or low. That means harvests are good or bad. Here, however, the environment is truly controlled. Harvests have no choice but to be good. How fortunate Mycogen is.† He waited. There were different possible answers and his course of action would depend on which answer came. She was speaking quite freely now and seemed to have no inhibitions concerning his masculinity, so this long tour had served its purpose. Raindrop Forty-Three said, â€Å"The environment is not that easy to control. There are, occasionally, viral infections and there are sometimes unexpected and undesirable mutations. There are times when whole vast batches wither or are worthless.† â€Å"You astonish me. And what happens then?† â€Å"There is usually no recourse but to destroy the spoiled batches, even those that are merely suspected of spoilage. Trays and tanks must be totally sterilized, sometimes disposed of altogether.† â€Å"It amounts to surgery, then,† said Seldon. â€Å"You cut out the diseased tissue.† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"And what do you do to prevent such things from happening?† â€Å"What can we do? We test constantly for any mutations that may spring up, any new viruses that may appear, any accidental contamination or alteration of the environment. It rarely happens that we detect anything wrong, but if we do, we take drastic action. The result is that bad years are very few and even bad years affect only fractional bits here and there. The worst year we’ve ever had fell short of the average by only 12 percent-though that was enough to produce hardship. The trouble is that even the most careful forethought and the most cleverly designed computer programs can’t always predict what is essentially unpredictable.† (Seldon felt an involuntary shudder go through him. It was as though she was speaking of psychohistory-but she was only speaking of the microfarm produce of a tiny fraction of humanity, while he himself was considering all the mighty Galactic Empire in every one of all its activities.) Unavoidably disheartened, he said, â€Å"Surely, it’s not all unpredictable. There are forces that guide and that care for us all.† The Sister stiffened. She turned around toward him, seeming to study him with her penetrating eyes. But all she said was â€Å"What?† Seldon felt uneasy. â€Å"It seems to me that in speaking of viruses and mutations, we’re talking about the natural, about phenomena that are subject to natural law. That leaves out of account the supernatural, doesn’t it? It leaves out that which is not subject to natural law and can, therefore, control natural law.† She continued to stare at him, as though he had suddenly begun speaking some distant, unknown dialect of Galactic Standard. Again she said, in half a whisper this time, â€Å"Wharf.† He continued, stumbling over unfamiliar words that half-embarrassed him. â€Å"You must appeal to some great essence, some great spirit, some†¦ I don’t know what to call it.† Raindrop Forty-Three said in a voice that rose into higher registers but remained low, â€Å"I thought so. I thought that was what you meant, but I couldn’t believe it. You’re accusing us of having religion. Why didn’t you say so? Why didn’t you use the word?† She waited for an answer and Seldon, a little confused at the onslaught, said, â€Å"Because that’s not a word I use. I call it ‘supernaturalism.’ â€Å" â€Å"Call it what you will. It’s religion and we don’t have it. Religion is for the tribesmen, for the swarming ho-â€Å" The Sister paused to swallow as though she had come near to choking and Seldon was certain the word she had choked over was-â€Å" She was in control again. Speaking slowly and somewhat below her normal soprano, she said, â€Å"We are not a religious people. Our kingdom is of this Galaxy and always has been. If you have a religion-â€Å" Seldon felt trapped. Somehow he had not counted on this. He raised a hand defensively. â€Å"Not really. I’m a mathematician and my kingdom is also of this Galaxy. It’s just that I thought, from the rigidity of your customs, that your kingdom-â€Å" â€Å"Don’t think it, tribesman. If our customs are rigid, it is because we are mere millions surrounded by billions. Somehow we must mark ourselves off so that we precious few are not lost among your swarms and hordes. We must be marked off by our hairlessness, our clothing, our behavior, our way of life. We must know who we are and we must be sure that you tribesmen know who we are. We labor in our farms so that we can make ourselves valuable in your eyes and thus make certain that you leave us alone. That’s all we ask of you†¦ to leave us alone.† â€Å"I have no intention of harming you or any of your people. I seek only knowledge, here as everywhere.† â€Å"So you insult us by asking about our religion, as though we have ever called on a mysterious, insubstantial spirit to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.† â€Å"There are many people, many worlds who believe in supernaturalism in one form or another†¦ religion, if you like the word better. We may disagree with them in one way or another, but we are as likely to be wrong in our disbelief as they in their belief. In any case, there is no disgrace in such belief and my questions were not intended as insults.† But she was not reconciled. â€Å"Religion!† she said angrily. â€Å"We have no need of it.† Seldon’s spirits, having sunk steadily in the course of this exchange, reached bottom. This whole thing, this expedition with Raindrop Forty-Three, had come to nothing. But she went on to say, â€Å"We have something far better. We have history.† And Seldon’s feelings rebounded at once and he smiled. How to cite Prelude to Foundation Chapter 9 Microfarm, Essay examples

Systemic Overview OF Paradigm Management -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Systemic Overview OF Paradigm Management? Answer: Introduction: The study of evolution of management thinking describes different historical approaches of management. Those accounting help managers to adopt various managerial concepts and implement them under different circumstances (Khorasani and Almasifard 2017). In this report, two concepts are chosen to analyse this concept of management evaluation based on the Vodafone Company. Scientific Management: Fredrick Taylor gave the concept of scientific management theory from a classical point of view. According to him, scientific changes can improve labour productivity. According to this theory, employers will hire skilled workers with high wage rate (Shafritz, Ott and Jang 2015). Moreover, high wage incentives attract workers to work more and to create more output. This scientific management concept has developed the concept of modern management. However, this concept did not think about labour welfare. Hence, clashes occur between employers and employees. Employers do not consider any ideas of workers. Moreover, workers remain uninformed regarding any company decision. Theory X and Theory Y: Douglas McGregr developed the motivational theory X and Y. These two theories are different by their nature. Managers use those theories to motivate their workers. Theory X states the concept of supervision and theory Y gives importance on rewards and recognition. Both theories follow different methodology to keep employees motivated (Sorensen and Yaeger 2017). Theory X chiefly follows an approach of authoritarian to motivate their workers. This theory follows some fundamental assumptions. This first assumption is that maximum people do not want to work and try to avoid this. Secondly, employees need management direction, control or threatened to work for completing a companys target. As those workers always try to avoid responsibly, managers will monitor them. There are some other companies, who follow Y theory. This concept is more decentralised by nature. Employees enjoy authorisation power and that help to remain motivated. Theory Y also follows some assumptions. The chief assumption is that workers take responsibility of their own actions. They try to work hard to achieve the goal of their company. They try to perform their work efficiently, without any supervision of their higher authority. However, theory x and theory Y has some limitations. In theory X, workers are threatened to work (Lawter, Kopelman and Prottas 2015). However, this will create a negative impact. Hence, workers cannot fulfil companys goal. On the other hand, application of theory Y in a company is very rare. In a practical environment, a company never can distribute their authority power to its all workers. Workers can misuse that power. Company Selection: In modern business environment, these theories can describe any companys management strategy. Here, Vodafone is chosen to analyse those management thinking. It is a U.K based multinational telecommunication company (Vodafone.com 2018). The company has captures its market in maximum region of the world. There are other famous international and domestic telecommunication companies, across the world. Hence, to compete with those companies, Vodafone needs to follow different management thinking. Scientific management analysis: Vodafone follows the scientific approach of Taylor. This management states a close work relation between managers with their workers to develop and encourage them. Call centre managers of Vodafone also follows this method by maintain a regular report. Managers maintain a key performance indicator (KPI) report of their employees on a daily dashboard. This report helps managers to analyse performance of their workers. This report also includes business of leaves, turnover and quality result of every employees. Manger follows Taylors theory for those workers who cannot maintain minimum score of 3 points of their KPI report (Kerl 2018). They try to indentify workers problem by performance management. Here, managers and workers play distinct performance. Managers take various decisions related to business and customer satisfaction. On the other side, call centre employees only operate customers through phone calls. Moreover, Taylor stated about the wage incentives to motivate employees to work more efficiently. In this company, there are many workers, who perform on a pay-by performance scheme (Frynas and Mellahi 2015). Their salaries are fluctuated according to their performance. The company also provide various awards to encourage their performance. These are scholarships and overseas placements. Hence, the above discussion proves that Vodafone follows Taylors approach. There are various evident, like performance rate and incentive schemes, to support this concept. However, there are some other concepts of this company that do not follow this concept. The company tries to maintain job satisfaction among their workers. Theory X and Y analysis: The Vodafone Company does not follow theory X or theory Y to operate their business. If they apply theory X then they need to threat those workers, who do not want to work. However, this effect will adversely affect the company. In future, the company can lose its potential workers. Moreover, a bad reputation will negatively affect the company. Hence, they will not apply theory X at any moment. The Vodafone Company always tries to motivate their employees by giving incentives and other rewards. The company also thinks about the wellbeing of their worker (Achieng 2014). Moreover, they try to analyse problems of those workers, who do not want to work further. Managers always try to solve those problems. Hence, well understanding helps this company to make a healthy and good relationship with their workers. On the other hand, the company will never follow theory Y. The Vodafone Company hires skilled managers to manage different sections of their work. In a call centre, the company also provides a manager to supervise employees (Francis and Santhosh 2016). This helps the company to manage their controlling power. If the company will follow theory Y, then it may lose all its controlling power. Moreover, the higher authority cannot control any activity of their workers. As a result, the company will lose its profit. Hence, any profit making competing firm like Vodafone will never follow any of those theories. Evaluation: The Vodafone Company only follows scientific management approach to develop their business. This approach helps this company to expand further with good employees. Hence, this approach is applicable for any organisations. However, theory X and Y are not applicable. They do not provide any good impact on a companys management capacity. Reference: Achieng, O., 2014.Organizational Silence Affecting the Effectiveness of Organizations in Kenya: A Case Study of Safaricom Call Center(Doctoral dissertation, United States International University-Africa). Francis, D. and Santhosh, V.A., 2016. A Study on the Motivational Level of Employees Working in the Telecommunication Industry: A Comparative Study with Specific Reference to Public and Private Sector Organizations.SAMVAD,11, pp.17-25. Frynas, J.G. and Mellahi, K., 2015.Global strategic management. Oxford University Press, USA. Ishak, S., 2015. The Impact of Thinking Maps on Enthusiasm, Attitude and Learning Style: An Action Research Study of Students in Management Course.Science,3(5), pp.107-113. Kerl, A., 2018. Development of an Innovation Ecosystem in a Fast-Paced Economic Environment: The Case of the Vodafone Open Innovation Program. InEntrepreneurial, Innovative and Sustainable Ecosystems(pp. 305-321). Springer, Cham. Khorasani, S.T. and Almasifard, M., 2017. Evolution of Management Theory within 20 Century: A Systemic Overview of Paradigm Shifts in Management.International Review of Management and Marketing,7(3), pp.134-137. Lawter, L., Kopelman, R.E. and Prottas, D.J., 2015. McGregor's theory X/Y and job performance: A multilevel, multi-source analysis.Journal of Managerial Issues,27(1-4), p.84. Shafritz, J.M., Ott, J.S. and Jang, Y.S., 2015.Classics of operations theory. Cengage Learning. Sorensen, P.F. and Yaeger, T.F., 2017. The Human Side of Douglas McGregor. InThe Palgrave Handbook of Organizational Change Thinkers(pp. 1-15). Springer International Publishing. Vodafone.com., 2018.Visit the Vodafone corporate website. [online] Available at: https://www.vodafone.com

Morality And Ethics And Computers Essays - Professional Ethics

Morality and Ethics and Computers There are many different sides to the discussion on moral and ethical uses of computers. In many situations, the morality of a particular use of a computer is up to the individual to decide. For this reason, absolute laws about ethical computer usage is almost, but not entirely, impossible to define. The introduction of computers into the workplace has introduced many questions as well: Should employers make sure the workplace is designed to minimize health risks such as back strain and carpal tunnel syndrome for people who work with computers? Can employers prohibit employees from sending personal memos by electronic mail to a friend at the other side of the office? Should employers monitor employees' work on computers? If so, should employees be warned beforehand? If warned, does that make the practice okay? According to Kenneth Goodman, director of the Forum for Bioethics and Philosophy at the University of Miami, who teaches courses in computer ethics, "There's hardly a business that's not using computers."1 This makes these questions all the more important for today's society to answer. There are also many moral and ethical problems dealing with the use of computers in the medical field. In one particular case, a technician trusted what he thought a computer was telling him, and administered a deadly dose of radiation to a hospital patient.2 In cases like these, it is difficult to decide who's fault it is. It could have been the computer programmer's fault, but Goodman asks, "How much responsibility can you place on a machine?"3 Many problems also occur when computers are used in education. Should computers replace actual teachers in the classroom? In some schools, computers and computer manuals have already started to replace teachers. I would consider this an unethical use of computers because computers do not have the ability to think and interact on an interpersonal basis. Computers "dehumanize human activity"4 by taking away many jobs and making many others "boring exercises in pushing the buttons that make the technology work." 5 Complete privacy is almost impossible in this computer age. By using a credit card or check cashing card, entering a raffle, or subscribing to a magazine, people provide information about themselves that can be sold to marketers and distributed to data bases throughout the world. When people use the world-wide web, the sites they visit and download things from, make a record that can be traced back to the person.6 This is not protected, as it is when books are checked out of a library. Therefore, information about someone's personal preferences and interests can be sold to anyone. A health insurance company could find out if a particular person had bought alcohol or cigarettes and charge that person a higher rate because he or she is a greater health risk. Although something like this has not been reported yet, there are no laws against it, at this point. More and more data base companies are monitoring individuals with little regulation. "Other forms of monitoring-such as genetic screening-could eventually be used to discriminate against individuals not because of their past but because of statistical expectations about their future."7 For instance, people who do not have AIDS but carry the antibodies are being discharged from the U.S. military and also fired from some jobs. Who knows if this kind of medical information could lead employers to make decisions of employment based on possible future illnesses rather than on job qualifications. Is this an ethical use of computers? One aspect of computers that is surely immoral and unethical is computer crime, which has been on the rise lately. There are many different types of computer crime. Three main types of crimes are making computer viruses, making illegal copies of software, and actually stealing computers. Computer viruses have been around for a decade but they became infamous when the Michelangelo virus caused a scare on March 6, 1992. According to the National Computer Security Association in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, there are 6000 known viruses worldwide and about 200 new ones show up every month.8 These viruses are spread quickly and easily and can destroy all information on a computer's hard drive. Now, people must buy additional software just to detect viruses and possibly repair infected files. Making illegal copies of software is also a growing problem in the computer world. Most people find no problem in buying a computer program and giving a copy to their friend or co-worker. Some people even make copies and sell them

Free Essays on Oracle Background

Oracle Corporation is a technology company that supplies software for the use of information management. They develop, manufacture, market and distribute computer software that helps other corporations manage their data so they can better grow and prosper. In 1977, Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates founded System Development Laboratories. After being inspired by a research paper written in 1970 by an IBM researcher titled â€Å"A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks† they decided to build a new type of database called a relational database system. The original project on the relational database system was for the government (Central Intelligence Agency) and was dubbed ‘Oracle.’ They thought this would be appropriate because the meaning of Oracle is source of wisdom. In 1978, Software Development laboratories moved from their offices in Santa Clara to ones in Menlo Park, the heart of the Silicon Valley. To better explain what they did, they cha nged their name to Relational Software Inc., or RSI. In 1979, RSI developed and distributed its first commercial SQL database V2, there was no version 1. In 1982, RSI changed its name to Oracle Systems Corporation, which later changed again to Oracle Corporation. They reasoning behind this was that they thought by naming the company after the product it would help the company obtain more recognition. In 1983, Oracle decided to make the Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) portable. They then introduce V3, the first portable database to run on Personal Computers, minicomputers and mainframes. In 1984, Oracle Corporation’s revenues reach $12.7 million and they move into a new eighty-four thousand square foot building in Belmont, CA. They also went international by working with companies in Canada, Netherlands, and a limited portion in the United Kingdom. In 1985 they hit $23 million in revenues and expanded to Austria, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and Switzerland. Their ... Free Essays on Oracle Background Free Essays on Oracle Background Oracle Corporation is a technology company that supplies software for the use of information management. They develop, manufacture, market and distribute computer software that helps other corporations manage their data so they can better grow and prosper. In 1977, Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates founded System Development Laboratories. After being inspired by a research paper written in 1970 by an IBM researcher titled â€Å"A Relational Model of Data for Large Shared Data Banks† they decided to build a new type of database called a relational database system. The original project on the relational database system was for the government (Central Intelligence Agency) and was dubbed ‘Oracle.’ They thought this would be appropriate because the meaning of Oracle is source of wisdom. In 1978, Software Development laboratories moved from their offices in Santa Clara to ones in Menlo Park, the heart of the Silicon Valley. To better explain what they did, they cha nged their name to Relational Software Inc., or RSI. In 1979, RSI developed and distributed its first commercial SQL database V2, there was no version 1. In 1982, RSI changed its name to Oracle Systems Corporation, which later changed again to Oracle Corporation. They reasoning behind this was that they thought by naming the company after the product it would help the company obtain more recognition. In 1983, Oracle decided to make the Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) portable. They then introduce V3, the first portable database to run on Personal Computers, minicomputers and mainframes. In 1984, Oracle Corporation’s revenues reach $12.7 million and they move into a new eighty-four thousand square foot building in Belmont, CA. They also went international by working with companies in Canada, Netherlands, and a limited portion in the United Kingdom. In 1985 they hit $23 million in revenues and expanded to Austria, Germany, Japan, Sweden, and Switzerland. Their ...

Discuss the contributions of ancient Egyptian civilization to the Essay

Discuss the contributions of ancient Egyptian civilization to the modern world - Essay Example ified remains to aid science and medicine in understanding ancient human tissues for use in modern medicine and similar disciplines, among others (Parmar; Tyldesley; Smith 22-35; Rice 5-26). The pyramids for one are a source of vital contributions to the modern world in the various arts and sciences that went into their construction, including in the realm of project management and architecture of the very large structures, the mathematics and civil works sciences that went into calculating with great precision the building blocks and the foundations of the pyramids, and the management of the workers, materials and the entire construction itself for the monumental works. To this day the insights from the various disciplines that were utilized to create the pyramids and the vast public works infrastructure of ancient Egypt continue to inform modern day architecture, civil engineering, mathematics and artistic disciplines in the modern world, and the modern world owes the foundations of those disciplines in part from the high quality of those disciplines as practiced in ancient Egypt and as reflected in its monumental artifacts (Smith 22-35; Rice 5-26). Modern medicine too benefits from the ancient practices of Egypt with regard to the preservation of human remains and the extensive knowledge of physiology and the human body that such preservation knowledge implied. The ancient Egyptians left behind numerous human remains carefully preserved and carefully documented in the documentation that they left behind as artifacts that continue to inform the modern world about rigorous methods of preservation, and a keen eye towards intimately knowing the inner workings of the human body. The human mummified remains too, in the modern world, are primed to allow modern scientists to gain insight into ancient humans, with implications for using such insights to improve human health and the practice of modern medicine. The modern practice of medicine too benefits from the vast

Mills Argument on the Freedom and Equality of Women Essay

Mills Argument on the Freedom and Equality of Women - Essay Example Consequently, Mill disagrees with an arrangement where one partner in a marriage appears to dominate the other. In this regard, he proposes a marriage relationship that is guided by consensus building and free association for both partners. However, while, men may have difficulties tolerating the idea of living as equal partners with their female counterparts, Mill reiterates that equality between men and women is highly desirable. As such, liberating women from patriarchal culture presents a bright future for mankind (Smith, 2001). On the other hand, freedom and equality also entails allowing women to own property and participate in politics. Mill also considers women to have similar abilities to men; however, due to their thought process and experience, women tend to be morally superior to men. In essence, freedom and equality of women in civil society benefits the general welfare of society in terms of promoting, for instance, justice, liberty and moral sensitivity. Strength and limitations of Mill’s approach Mill’s focus on the freedom and equality of women in civil society serves to promote affirmative action. Further his approach to the issue also dissuades the society from viewing women as an inferior gender to their male counterparts. Mill also identifies patriarchal culture as an impediment to gender equality in the society. On the other hand, the limitation of Mill’s approach with regard to freedom and equality of women in civil society emanates from a lack of focus on the needs and interests of women.

Critical review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Critical review - Essay Example The article by Yeong and Ngee (2014) has tried to find out a clear distinction between the definitions of culture, organizational culture and the organizational climate. The article has explained that the culture is a set of belief and norms that are learnt and shared among a group of individuals in close proximity. The organizational culture on the other hand is the practices or trends followed by the employees and staffs of a particular organization. Just like culture varies across different countries and regions, the organizational culture also varies across different organizations or industries. In the light of organizational culture, it has been mentioned that the organizational practices are dynamic in nature and often changes under the influence of new comers. It has been mentioned that a new comer coming from a particular organization brings certain cultural traits, which gets infused with the culture of the current organization thereby making certain changes in it. In this c ontext Turker and Altuntas (2015) have mentioned in their article regarding the impact on the new comer of the organizational culture which he has been recently exposed to. Yeong and Ngee (2014) have highlighted on the influence of the new comer on the organizational practices, where he mentioned that the previous organizational culture of the individual is brought by him in the new organization. On the other hand, Turker and Altuntas (2015) have discussed about the impact of the new organizational culture on the perception of the new comers. Thus it can be stated that both the articles have discussed orgazanitions culture, but has portrayed different perspective of its relationship with the new comers. Moreover, in the article of Yeong and Ngee (2014) it has been clearly mentioned the difference between the definitions of culture and organizational culture and at the

Comparison of Beta Blockers Use

Comparison of Beta Blockers Use 1.1 Background Beta-blockers are a medication used to treat high blood pressure and heart problems. They are used by millions of people around the world everyday. In 2004, they were the fifth most widely prescribed class of medicine. Beta-blockers are effective, life-saving medicines with more than 25 years of widespread and generally safe use. There are fourteen beta-blockers are currently available. These included Acebutolol, Atenolol, Betaxolol, Bisoprolol, Carvedilol, Esmolol, Labetalol, Metoprolol, Nadolol, Penbutolol, Pindolol, Propranolol, and Timolol. Beta-blockers are just one class of prescription medicine used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease. Four other classes are commonly used to treat high blood pressure, for example. These include the diuretics, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, and angiotensin-receptor blockers. These four plus beta blockers are often used in combination, two or more at a time. Indeed, many people with high blood pressure will require two or more high blood pressure medicines to bring their blood pressure down to a normal and healthy range. Although they are used primarily to treat people with high blood pressure, they are also used to treat other heart conditions. These include angina (heart or chest pain), abnormal heart rhythms, coronary artery blockages, and heart failure. They are also used, along with other treatments, to help prevent repeat heart attacks in people who have already had one, to prevent migraine headaches, and to treat performance or stage-fright anxiety. High blood pressure is one of the most significantly and persistently under-diagnosed and under-treated medical conditions. It raises your risk of heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, dementia, vision loss, and kidney failure. In most who have high blood pressure, it is a lifelong condition. Yet studies show that only 30% of people with high blood pressure getting the medicines, care, and blood pressure control they need. Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a leading cause of death. Because it has no symptoms and often goes undetected, high blood pressure is often called the nations leading silent killer. Beta-blockers work by blocking adrenaline in the heart and blood vessels. Adrenaline speeds up the heart rate, makes the heart muscle contract more strongly, and constricts arteries throughout the body. All these raise blood pressure. In blocking adrenaline, beta-blockers slow down the heart and reduce its workload. That helps to decrease blood pressure. Choosing a beta-blocker, and its dose, depends on what people need it for. Studies show that some beta blockers are more effective and safer than others for certain conditions. People respond to the various beta-blockers differently. There are important differences in how the various beta-blockers work that will affect the use of them. In effect, beta blockers differ in the type of beta receptors they block (ÃŽÂ ²1, ÃŽÂ ²2, and ÃŽÂ ±) and, therefore, their effects. Non-selective beta blockers, for example, propranolol, block ÃŽÂ ²1 and ÃŽÂ ²2 receptors and, therefore, affect the heart, blood vessels, and air passages. Selective beta blockers, for example, metoprolol primarily block ÃŽÂ ²1 receptors and, therefore, mostly affect the heart and do not affect air passages. Labetalol and carvedilol block beta and alpha-1 receptors. Blocking alpha receptors adds to the blood vessel dilating effect of labetalol and carvedilol. Beta-blockers are generally safe medicines. They have not been shown to cause any serious long-term or irreversible negative consequences, even after many years of use. But side effects are common among people taking beta-blockers. The majority of people can expect to experience at least one. These include fatigue or drowsiness, dizziness or lightheadedness, slow heartbeat, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, numbness, tinkling or coldness of fingers, toes or skin, weight gain, mental depression, disturbing dreams, reduced libido, erectile dysfunction in men, or ability to reach orgasm in both men and women. Most side effects can be avoided or minimized by starting with a low dose and increasing it gradually. Also, some of these adverse effects go away or diminish in time, after body gets used to the drug. Overall, the strongest evidence on beta-blockers links them to a lower risk of repeat heart attack and early death in the aftermath of a heart attack. More than 60 studies have examined this, and all have found a marked benefit for the pills. There is also compelling evidence that some beta blockers lower the risk of death in people with heart failure, preventing 3.8 deaths per 100 patients in the first year of treatment. Therefore, everyone who has had a heart attack should be taking a beta-blocker. Below are the list of beta-blockers that use in Klinik Kesihatan Greentown: No:  1. Generic Name:  Atenolol Trade Name:  TENORMIN ® Dosage Form:  Tablet Strength:  100mg No:  2. Generic Name:  Bisoprolol Trade Name:  CONCOR ® Dosage Form:  Tablet Strength:  2.5mg , 5mg No:  3. Generic Name:  Carvedilol Trade Name:  DILATREND ®, CASLOT ® Dosage Form:  Tablet Strength:  6.25mg , 25mg No:  4. Generic Name:  Labetalol Trade Name:  TRANDATE ® Dosage Form:  Tablet Strength:  100mg No:  5. Generic Name:  Metoprolol Trade Name:  BETALOC ® Dosage Form:  Tablet Strength:  100mg No:  6. Generic Name:  Propranolol Trade Name:  INDERAL ® Dosage Form:  Tablet Strength:  40mg 1.2 Objectives 1.2.1 To list down types of beta-blockers in Klinik Kesihatan Greentown. 1.2.2 To analyze the usage of each beta-blockers in Kinik Kesihatan Greentown. 1.2.3 To compare the most commonly used beta-blockers in Klinik Kesihatan  Greentown based on the results. CHAPTER 2:  LITERATURE REVIEW From the past, beta blockers is widely use for the treatment of hypertension besides treatment such as stable and unstable angina, arrhythmias, bleeding esophageal varices, coronary artery disease, asymptomatic and symptomatic heart failure, hypertension migraine, and secondary prevention post-myocardial infarction (Mark Helfand, MD, et al., 2007). Although some study shows that beta-blockers are not first-line drugs in the treatment of hypertension (Wiysonge CS, et al., 2007) but when initiating a beta-blocker, it is proven to be as effective and safe as initiating an ACE-inhibitor first (Ferenc Follath, 2006). Besides, beta blockers provide similar clinical outcomes and are associated with fewer adverse events than calcium antagonists in randomized trials of patients who have stable angina. (Paul A. Heidenreich, MD, et.al., 1999) There is also evidence that suggest B-blockers are useful in managing angina and reducing mortality after myocardial infarction and in heart failure (H T Ong, consultant cardiologist, 2007) but beta blockers appear to be less effective when used as monotherapy in black hypertensives (Walter Flamenbaum, MD, 1985). Additionally, beta-blockers may be considered as a first-line option in women of child-bearing potential because of concern about foetal renal maldevelopment with ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers (British Hypertension Society, 2008). When starting beta blockers, it should be started at the lowest dose, with the dose increased every two to four weeks until the target dose or highest tolerated dose is reached because beta-blockers showed little evidence of useful antiarrhythmic action in the dosage used (J M Roland, et.al., 1979). It also should reconsider in the treatment of hypertension since doses smaller than those recommended are almost as effective and much cheaper. (A K Scott, et al., 1982) On the other side, when beta blocker treatment given as secondary prophylaxis after myocardial infarction it is highly cost effective (G Olsson, L A Levin, N Rehnqvist, 1987). Among all the beta-blockers, atenolol had the most widely used in Klinik Kesihatan Greentown because study proven atenolol is more effective than placebo in lowering blood pressure but does not appear to reduce the rates of cardiovascular morbidity or mortality (Carlberg B., et al., 2004). One of the studies also shown that the use of atenolol (started 72 h before operation) is effective in reducing the incidence of supraventricular arrhythmias following elective coronary artery bypass operations in patients with good left ventricular function (R. K. Lamb, et al., 1988). When compare between atenolol versus nifedipine versus the combination, atenolol was slightly better than nifedipine on exercise time, but the combination was slightly better for decreasing the number of attacks (El-Tamimi, H. Davies, G.J., 1992). Anyway, atenolol should be avoided in the early stages of pregnancy and given with caution at the later stages, as it is associated with fetal growth retardation, which is related to duration of treatment. (Lydakis C., et al., 1999) Metoprolol, which shows the second higher usage in Klinik Kesihatan Greentown, is an effective drug for treatment of stable exercise-induced angina pectoris (Arnman K Rydà ©n L. 1993) where metoprolol also can reduce total mortality, sudden death, and death due to progressive heart failure and improved quality of life (Mark Helfand, MD, et al., 2007). There is also a study about 62 patients taking metoprolol 100 mg twice daily, nifedipine 10 mg three times daily and the combination in a randomised double blind crossover study, metoprolol was better than nifedipine; the combination was better again (Uusitalo, A, et.al, 1986). On the other side, both carvedilol and metoprolol also showed parallel beneficial effects on symptoms, exercise, ejection fraction, and oxidative stress in heart failure (Marrick L. Kukin, MD, et. al, 1999). Treatment with metoprolol will resulted in lower all-cause mortality than treatment with a thiazide diuretic (Mark Helfand, MD, et al., 2007) but metoprolol did not benefit mortality or ischemic events in a longer-term (Mark Helfand, MD, et al., 2007). Although carvedilol and immediate release metoprolol had similar effects on quality of life, but metoprolol improved exercise capacity more (Mark Helfand, MD, et al., 2007). Yet, the chronic use of the more selective beta-1 selective blockers such as atenolol and metaprotenol has been shown in several studies to not significantly increase asthma or worsen pulmonary function (J Respir, 2003). Among all the beta blockers, labetalol is among the physicians choice because the efficient hypotensive action, together with apparent freedom from maternal and fetal side-effects, and consequent improved perinatal mortality, suggest that it is a suitable drug for use in pregnancy complicated by hypertension (C A Michael, 1979). Besides, labetalol appears to be better able to prevent the appearance of fetal growth retardation compare to atenolol (Lardoux H, et al., 1983). The most significant effect is when comparing side-effect liabilities, it is clear that quantitatively labetalol produces no greater burden of side-effects than drugs of the ÃŽÂ ²-adrenoceptor-blocking group (B. N. C. Prichard D. A. Richards 1982). It also may be considered relatively safer then pure non-selective beta-adrenoceptor blocking drugs in patients with airways obstruction (S H Jackson D G Beevers 1983). Among the incidence of side-effects, was similar with atenolol, metoprolol and pindolol but was slightly less with labetalol (J J McNeil W J Louis 1979). Of all this reason, labetalol become one f the common prescribe drug for pregnant women. For the next drug, propranolol, it should be used with care in patients with known vascular disease (P D McSorley D J Warren 1978). Carvedilol which is other beta blockers has a powerful antiarrhythmic effect, where a study shows after AMI, even in patients already treated with an ACE inhibitor, carvedilol suppresses atrial as well as ventricular arrhythmias in these patients (McMurray, J., et al., 2005). It also may adversely affect recovery from severe hemorrhagic shock (Taniguchi T., et al., 2009). Next, carvedilol is the only beta blocker shown to reduce mortality in post-MI patients who are already taking an ACE inhibitor (Mark Helfand, MD, et al., 2007). In one of the study also shown that administering carvedilol in addition to conventional therapy reduces mortality and attenuates myocardial remodelling in patients with left ventricular dysfunction following acute MI. Mortality was significantly lower with carvedilol than with metoprolol in patients with mild to severe CHF, suggesting that carvedilol may be the preferred beta-blocker (Keating GM Jarvis B. 2003). However, patients with CHF and asthma tolerated carvedilol poorly and because of that asthma still remain a contraindication to beta-blockade (Kotlyar E, et al., 2002). For bisoprolol, neither dose of bisoprolol showed any obvious influence on reducing attack duration or severity (Mark Helfand, MD, et al., 2007). CHAPTER 3:  METHODOLOGY 3.1 Study Design A case control study is conducted from 1st Mac 2009 till 8th May 2009. We will identify the usage of Beta Blocker drugs in Klinik Kesihatan Greentown. Inclusion criteria for this study are based on the date noted on the cupon. Exclusion criteria is the date for the part supply prescriptions which we will take the last date the patient comes to collect the their medication. A total of 3 months prescription (October 2008 till December 2008) will be taken to be analyzed. Comparison between all beta blockers is then done when all data has been analyzed. 3.2 Data Collection Each month of prescription is divided among us group members to evaluate and count the frequency usage of those Beta Blocker drugs. Time that given to finished the evaluation of the prescription is 1 month from the date the prescription is given. The Beta Blocker drugs that has be taken count for this study is between Metoprolol Tartrate, Atenolol, Carvedilol, Propanolol HCL, Bisoprolol Fumarate, and Labetolol HCL. 3.3 Statistical Methods/Data Analysis Data has been analysis using Microsoft Excel which the results is shown through bar and pai chart. 3.4 Ethical Consideration Permission to conduct this study is obtained from the chief pharmacist and our local preceptor of Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun and Klinik Kesihatan Greentown. CHAPTER 4:  RESULTS Graph 1 show the total usage of each type of Beta-blockers used in October 2008 at Klinik Kesihatan Greentown. From the graph, we found that atenolol is among the most frequently used Beta-blocker drug used by Klinik Kesihatan Greentown on October 2008 which is 449 patients, followed by metoprolol, 404 patients, propranolol, 20 patients, labetalol and carvedilol, 1 patient each, while no patient was prescribed with Bisoprolol. Graph 2 shows the total usage of each type of beta-blockers in November 2008 at Klinik Kesihatan Greentown. The graph indicates that atenolol is the most highly used if compared with other Beta-blockers which have 358 patients, followed by metoprolol, 324 patients, propranolol, 35 patients, bisoprolol, 4 patients, labetalol, 2 patients and carvedilol, have 1 patient only. Graph 3 shows the total usage of each type of Beta-blockers in December 2008. From the graph we can conclude that atenolol rated as the most widely used where there are 377 patients, followed by metoprolol, 303 patients, then propranolol, 27 patients, bisoprolol, 14 patients, labetalol, 3 patients and carvedilol, 8 patients. Graph 4 shows the overall usage of each beta-blocker used in Klinik Kesihatan Greentown based on total amount of prescriptions prescribed on October, November and December 2008. From types of beta-blocker, we can conclude that atenolol is the most widely used which have 1184 patients compared with other beta-blocker drugs. While metoprolol is the second beta-blocker drug that commonly used which have 1034 patients, followed by propranolol, 82 patients, bisoprolol, 18 patients, carvedilol, 10 patients and labetalol, 6 patients. Graph 5 displays the total usage of beta-blockers based from October, November and December in year 2008 at Klinik Kesihatan Greentown. From the overall, the month of October 2008 shows the highest percentage of beta-blockers used in Klinik Kesihatan Greentown which are 38% or total usage are 875, followed by December 2008 which are 31% or total usage are 732 and November 2008 are 31% or total usage are 724. CHAPTER 5:  DISCUSSION 5.1 Atenolol Beta-blockers work by blocking adrenaline in the heart and blood vessels. Adrenaline speeds up the heart rate, makes the heart muscle contract more strongly, and constricts arteries throughout the body. All these raise blood pressure. In blocking adrenaline, beta-blockers slow down the heart and reduce its workload. That helps to decrease blood pressure (Houghton T, Fremantle N, Cleland JG. 2002). Atenolol in this case is a beta blocker used not only to treat hypertension but also is the primary medication treatment for angina and after an heart attack (American Academy of Family Physician, 2000). Based on our study, at Klinik Kesihatan Greentown the most used beta blocker from October 2008 till December 2008 was atenolol. This could be due to many factors; one of it to be the effective treatment towards treating hypertension. It is also widely use because doctors nationwide has been prescribing this drug for a long time and it is shown by patient age on the prescription studied, geriatric patients prefer sticking to atenolol than changing to other beta blockers as they safe and satisfied with the treatment of atenolol. Atenolol also has very less adverse effects compared to other beta blockers .It is also known to effectively lower blood pressure to its normal range by decreasing the heart rate. It easy to consume as the daily dosing is usually 1 tablet a day(100mg) or half a tablet a day(50mg) ( Shekelle, P. G., et al., 2003 ). According to a study it has chosen four of the five indicated beta blockers as Best Buy drugs for people with angina, based on price. They are atenolol, metoprolol tartrate, and propranolol. Generic acebutolol is substantially more expensive than these four and no more effective. Taking a beta-blocker after a heart attack lowers the risk of a repeat attack and death by 15% to 25%. Five beta-blockers -atenolol, carvedilol , metoprolol tartrate, propranolol, and timolol- have been proven in studies to reduce deaths in people whove had heart attacks. The evidence is somewhat stronger for atenolol, however. On that basis, and because they are available at lower cost than carvedilol (Coreg) and timolol, atenolol is chosen as one of the best buys around. Studies of carvedilol are complicated by its use therefore atenolol is a much suitable drug to be considered alongside its market price (Houghton T, Fremantle N, Cleland JG. 2002). 5.2 Metoprolol Metoprolol is the second commonly used in Klinik Kesihatan Greentown after atenolol. It is a first-line therapy for hypertension, angina, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, secondary prevention of heart attack (Bradley HA, et al., 2006). Besides that, metoprolol is also used to treat migraine headaches, panic disorder, anxiety and hyperthyroidism (Cleland JGF, et al., 2002). It is a selective beta-1-blocking agents which do not significantly affect respiratory function or antagonize salbutamol effects in patients with COPD (Fogari R, et al., 2001). Metoprolol does not significantly affect FEV1 or FVC at a dose of 200 mg daily when compared with placebo in patients with moderately severe COPD and significant reversible component (Fenster PE, et al., 1990). Metoprolol is used to decrease symptoms such as rapid heart rate, sweating and tremor which are associated with thyrotoxicosis. It is also used to prevent migraine, although it is not fully understood how metoprolol works in this area (Erdmann E, et al., 2005). At low doses, cardioselective beta blockers such as metoprolol selectively block the beta receptors found in the heart and are less likely to cause side effects. These medications may be better than nonselective beta blockers for people with obstructive lung disease, asthma, poor circulation, diabetes, and depression (Torp-Pedersen C, et al., 2007). Based on the analysis of the COMET (Carvedilol Or Metoprolol European Trial) study, metoprolol patients had a 34% lower risk of death than placebo patients. Metoprolol reduced mortality and all-cause hospitalization by 19%. All-cause mortality plus hospitalization for heart failure went down 31%. All-cause hospitalization alone was lowered by 13%, hospitalization for all heart-related causes by 20%, and hospitalization for worsening CHF by 32% ( Woolfenden J,et al, 2003). Selective beta-1-adrenergic blockade is routinely preferred to non-selective blockade in patients with coexistent COPD and CHF to minimize the risk of inducing bronchoconstriction (Abraham T, et al, 1983). Compared to metoprolol tartrate, carvedilol reduced the total days lost. This effect was mostly due to increased longevity. Metoprolol tartrate has been shown to improve well-being after myocardial infarction (Olsson G, et al,1993). Beneficial effects of metoprolol in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy, indicating that the effect of carvedilol was in addition to that of an active control (Waagstein F, Bristow MR, Swedberg K, et al, 1993). 5.3 Propranolol From the graph, propranolol is one of the least used in Klinik Kesihatan Greentown. Propranolol is used most often for the treatment of high blood pressure, angina, and abnormal heart rhythms. It is also used to treat the symptoms of anxiety. Propranolol was the first beta-blocker available in the United States. Beta-blockers are drugs that interfere with nerve signals transmitted by the chemical norepinephrine. They reduce the force and speed of the heartbeat and prevent dilation of certain blood vessels. These actions reduce the work load on the heart, relieve the muscle tremors that often accompany anxiety, and reduce the blood pressure in the brain to prevent migraines.  ( Division of Simon and Schuster 1230, avenue of the Americans New York, NY 10020). Because of the risk of side effects, propranolol should be used with caution in people with impaired kidney or liver function (Division of Simon and Schuster 1230, avenue of the Americans New York, NY 10020). It works by affecting the response to nerve impulses in certain parts of the body, like the heart. As a result, the heart beats slower and decreases the blood pressure. When the blood pressure is lowered, the amount of blood and oxygen is increased to the heart. Propranolol is also affects the bodys sugar metabolism, it should be used with caution in people with diabetes or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Propranolol may mask certain clinical signs of thyroid disease and interfere with thyroid-function tests. Similarly, propranolol may interfere with tests for glaucoma  ( Division of Simon and Schuster 1230, avenue of the Americans New York, NY 10020).   Propranolol is thus used for the symptomatic relief of thyrotoxicosis (hyperthyroidism). It has no direct effect on the cause, namely overproduction of thyroid hormones, which requires to be treated concurrently. This is clearly shown at Klinik Kesihatan Greentown because most of propanolol usage was to treat thyrotoxicosis. Scores on various subjective rating scales showed that propranolol had a larger mood elevating effect than atenolol. Heart rate and blood pressure were significantly reduced 24 h after atenolol medication; these effects were absent or reduced after propranolol had been given (A.  A.  Landauer, et al., 1978  ). 5.4 Bisoprolol From the graph we know that the total usage of bisoprolol is only 6 patients out of the 3 month that we have evaluated. It shows that bisoprolol is also less than one of the least used in Klinik Greentown Ipoh. This is due to the price of the medicine. As in a journal, the greatest absolute cost discrepancy for both groups was under-estimation of linezolid ($800 and $400) and over-estimation of clopidogrel ($60) and bisoprolol therapy ($62) by residents and pharmacists, respectively (Wilbur K., 2009). It shows that bisoprolol is one of the expensive Beta blocker drugs compared to the others of Beta blocker drugs. Perhaps it cant give the same effect of atenolol which the most used Beta blocker. Based on a journal, serious adverse effects (e.g. serious bradycardia or hypotension) occurred in 3.1% of patients switching from metoprolol tartrate to carvedilol, and 2.3% experienced worsening heart failure. In the metoprolol to bisoprolol group, worsening heart failure occurred in about 2% of patients. Serious adverse effects also occurred in about 2% of the metoprolol to bisoprolol patients. Adverse effects were higher in patients switched to the equivalent dose rather than half the equivalent dose. (Pharmacists Letter / Prescribers Letter, 2009) Other than that, bisoprolol is also difficult to get the stock of drugs because it is the List A drug and have its own procedures to make the ordering from the company. 5.5 Carvedilol From the graph we can conclude that carvedilol have the least favorable number of usage compare to others beta blockers but then its still a preferable drug for physician to prescribe due to its beneficial effect. First of all, carvedilol is proven to lower mortality in patients with mild to severe congestive heart failure (Keating GM, 2003), besides it also suppresses atrial as well as ventricular arrhythmias (McMurray et. al 2005) and it is the only beta blocker shown to reduce mortality in post-MI (Mark Helfand et. al, 2007). But then on the other side, when compare to metoprolol, it is lack in improved exercise capacity (Mark Helfand et.all 2007) and it may adversely affect recovery from severe hemorrhagic shock (Taniguchi T et.all 2009). Between, patients with CHF and asthma tolerated carvedilol poorly and yet, asthma still remains a contraindication to beta-blockade. All the prescribing for beta blockers in Klinik Kesihatan Greentown also mostly due to the restriction of cost w here carvedilol is listed as A list drug therefore it needs a specialist to start and indirectly reduce A listed drug. 5.6 Labetalol From the graph, we can see that labetalol shows the least usage in Klinik Kesihatan Greentown. This is because the main indication of labetalol is for use in pregnancy complicated by hypertension with apparent freedom from maternal and fetal side-effects, and consequent improved perinatal mortality (C A Michael, 1979). Beside that, labetalol should be avoided in asthmatic patient because it produced more bronchial blockade than atenolol (A D Mackay, et al., 1981) and reduced the effect of inhaled salbutamol on FEV1 (S H Jackson D G Beevers, 1983). Furthermore, labetalol was associated with a significant less reduction or increase in cardiac output than on pure beta blockers (Lund-Johansen P, 1983) and probably induced SLE syndrome (R. C. Brown, et al., 1981). Lastly, considerable differences in dose (atenolol 138 +/- 13 mg daily; labetalol 308 +/- 34 mg daily; metoprolol 234 +/- 22 mg daily), labetalol will required a higher dose to produce similar antihypertensive effects (J J McNe il W J Louis, 1979) and the cost for labetalol is higher than atenolol and metoprolol. CHAPTER 6:  CONCLUSIONS Finally, we can conclude that atenolol have the highest usage among beta-blockers in Klinik Kesihatan Greentown followed by metoprolol, propranolol, bisoprolol, carvedilol and the least usage which is labetalol. Commencing from this study, we found that further studies is needed so that physician can prescribe more convincingly and led to a better life for patients.